Illinois Ticket Holder Wins $393 Mega Millions Jackpot

Monday August 14th 2017

A Mega Millions ticket holder from Illinois is $393 million richer after landing the game’s premium prize and bringing a run of 30 consecutive rollovers to an end. The lucky player correctly matched the numbers 23, 33, 53, 56, 58 and Mega Ball 6 to land the fifth largest prize in the game’s history and the 17th biggest lottery jackpot ever.

The winning ticket holder purchased their entry from Nick’s Barbecue, a restaurant located in Palos Heights, Chicago. The business’ owner, Nick Andricopulos, received news of the win shortly before midnight following the draw and told reporters that it was one of the managers that first got wind of the information. “We’re very excited, it’s unbelievable,” he told journalists.

Illinois State Lottery officials are now urging the winning ticket holder, who overcame odds of over one in 292 million, to sign the back of their playslip and store it in a safe place before making contact as soon as possible. Players in The Prairie State, including the winner of this latest jackpot, are reminded that they have one year to claim their Mega Millions prize money.

This incredible win comes just months after Illinois was forced to cease the sale of all multi-state lottery tickets, including Mega Millions and Powerball, as the state experienced financial difficulties that resulted in winning players being unable to claim their prize money. Luckily, following the passing of the state’s budget in early July, Illinois was welcomed back into America’s lottery family, just in time for the latest winning ticket holder to get their hands on a truly remarkable sum of cash.

Following Friday’s win, the Mega Millions jackpot has now been reset ahead of this Tuesday’s draw and, if you would like to add your name to the growing list of Mega Millions jackpot winners, you can pick your numbers online or play through an authorized retailer in any participating state or jurisdiction. Good luck!